Tag: Vietnam War

Pete Seeger: “Bring Them Home”

Pete Seeger was born on May 3, 1919 in New York City. He grew up to be a great social justice activist and folk singer. His many contributions to the battle against the Vietnam War included his song, “Bring Them Home,” which decades later he also later used to protest U.S. wars in the Middle East.

One of the clever aspects of “Bring Them Home” is that Seeger asserts that he wishes to bring the soldiers home because of his love for his country. Many who favored the war accused anti-war activists of being anti-American. But Seeger reminded them that the truth was far different. The people protesting the war did so because they cared about their country and what their country was doing.

While some of Seeger’s activism made TV executives nervous, such as the time he was censored in 1967 on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, many artists respected him. So, he did find his way onto our televisions, including in this March 1970 appearance on The Johnny Cash Show.

It is pretty amazing to watch Seeger perform “Bring Them Home” on a national television show in 1970. That year, Richard Nixon was in the White House and the war still going on. But Seeger (and Johnny Cash) always sang the truth. Check it out.

One of the signs of a great song is how it can be timeless even if written about a certain moment in time. “Bring Them Home” holds up. During the Iraq War, Bruce Springsteen performed a slightly modified version of the song, called “Bring ‘Em Home,” which was released as a digital download to support his album in tribute to Seeger, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006).

As long as there are wars, “Bring Them Home” will be sung.

In honor of Seeger’s 100th birthday, Smithsonian Folkways is releasing  Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection. What is your favorite Pete Seeger song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Daniel Ellsberg: The Most Dangerous Man

    Most Dangerous Man On April 7, 1931, Daniel Ellsberg was born in Chicago. He would grow up to serve in the Marines and work at the Pentagon and for Rand Corporation, eventually becoming disillusioned with the Vietnam War and receiving notoriety as the man behind the release of government documents about the Vietnam War. After the New York Times began publishing the papers in June 1971, the actions prompted the wrath of President Richard M. Nixon and one of the most important Supreme Court cases on the First Amendment.

    The 2009 documentary The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers tells the story of Ellsberg’s life and the Pentagon Papers. Directed by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, the film is required viewing for anyone interested in the Vietnam War. The movie reveals much about the controversies on the home front as well as the lies told by U.S. leaders.

    The documentary approaches the tale by letting Ellsberg and others report the story from first-hand accounts (while Nixon’s perspective only comes through in recordings made at the White House). As much as you think you might know about Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, you likely will learn new information from the film.

    For example, we see the role that Ellsberg’s wife played in his decisions. We also learn that Egil Krogh — one of the “White House Plumbers” involved in breaking into the office of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist — came to see Ellsberg as a principled man.

    The Most Dangerous Man in America takes the position that Ellsberg is an American hero who was willing to go to prison if necessary to try to end an unjust war. While some may disagree with the admiring portrayal, the lessons from the Pentagon Papers still resonate in modern times as we still face issues like Edward Snowden’s release of documents. Thus, the story of Daniel Ellsberg is just as relevant today as it was in the 1970s.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    I Heard Her Pray the Night Chicago Died

    Paper Lace The year 1974 was an odd year for music, with a number of unusual hit pop songs that you rarely hear today. The year featured acts like Bob Dylan returning to touring for the first time in eight years. Queen played its first North American concert.  And the Ramones made their first appearance at CBGB. Yet, some of the biggest hit songs of the year were Carl Douglas’s “Kung Fu Fighting” and Blue Suede’s reworking of BJ Thomas’s 1968 release “Hooked on a Feeling,” adding ooga-chaka’s. And two odd 1974 pop hits with a link to each other were Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods’ “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” and Paper Lace‘s “The Night Chicago Died.”

    “The Night Chicago Died”

    “The Night Chicago Died” hit number one on the charts on August 17, 1974. If you were around in those days, you probably can sing along to “The Night Chicago Died.” But if you were born after that date, it is quite possible you have never heard of the song.

    “The Night Chicago Died” is a story song about a 1930s battle between Al Copone’s men and the Chicago police. Songwriters Peter Callander and Mitch Murray tell a Prohibition-era story that is largely inaccurate in both historical events and city geography.

    But perhaps what made the song a hit was the part about the songwriter watching his momma cry while waiting to see if her policeman husband would come home alive.  Spoiler alert: The father-husband returns safely.

    At the end, the singer recalls that the door opened wide “And my daddy stepped inside,/ And he kissed my mama’s face, And he brushed her tears away.”

    “The Night Chicago Died” was a huge hit.  It sold more than three million copies.

    The British band Paper Lace consisted of Philip Wright (drummer and lead singer on “The Night Chicago Died”), Cliff Fish, Phil Hendriks, and Dave Major. While Paper Lace had a number one hit with “The Night Chicago Died” in the U.S., the song only went to number two on the U.K. charts.

    “Billy Don’t Be a Hero”

    Paper Lace, who still tour, did have a number one hit in the U.K. prior to “The Night Chicago Died.” The band’s version of “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” — a story song about a woman telling her love not to get killed in the war — went to number one in the U.K earlier in 1974.

    But before Paper Lace could release their version of “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” in the U.S., Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods claimed their one-hit-wonder status by releasing their version. The Bo Donaldson song went to number one in the U.S. in June 1974.

    Like “The Night Chicago Died,” the song “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” was written by Callander and Murray. “Billy,” however, has a sadder ending, with the heroic Billy getting killed.

    Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods reformed in the mid-1990s and still toured as of 2015. Mike Gibbons, the lead singer on “Billy Don’t Be a Hero,” did not tour with the band on the oldies circuit.  And he passed away on April 2, 2016.

    The song does not name the war where Billy is killed.  From the lyrics (“the soldier blues”) most assume the song is set during the Civil War. But in 1974 any song mentioning war made one think of the Vietnam War.

    I have barely heard “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” since the year it was released.  It does make a delightful brief appearance in the background music in Walk Hard: The Dewy Cox Story (2007).

    Yet, like “The Night Chicago Died,” I can still sing every word. That’s the power of pop.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Lesley Gore and Barry Goldwater

    Lesley Gore Mike Douglas

    Singer-songwriter Lesley Gore has passed away on February 16, 2015 at the age of 68 from complications related to cancer. Gore had a long track record of great hit songs that started when she was 16 years old with the 1963 hit recording of “It’s My Party.”

    Other hit songs included “Judy’s Turn to Cry,” “You Don’t Own Me,” “That’s the Way Boys Are,” and “Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows.”  All of those performances are easily found on the Internet.

    Additionally, she co-wrote the beautiful song “Out Here On My Own,” which was performed by Irene Cara in the movie Fame (1980). I still recall the first time I heard that song in the movie theater. It is the only time I have heard an audience applaud for a song in the middle of a film.

    An interesting video you might otherwise overlook is her November 10, 1969 appearance on The Mike Douglas Show. Typically, she gives an excellent singing performance. But then she sits down and discusses the Vietnam War with Barry Goldwater.

    Gore’s discussion with Goldwater is a nice reminder how people can disagree on television without screaming at each other. Check it out.

    What is your favorite Lesley Gore recording? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Travelin’ Soldier

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    Memorial Day, a holiday to remember men and women who died while serving in the military, originated not long after the Civil War where so many had died. The day became an official holiday in 1971, originally called Decoration Day (and like me you may know some folks who still use that name).

    One of the best songs in recent decades about a soldier dying in war is “Travelin’ Soldier,” which was made popular by the Dixie Chicks when it appeared on their 2002 album Home. Texas singer-songwriter Bruce Robison wrote the beautiful song that unfortunately became overshadowed when some people got mad at the Dixie Chicks at the time the song was released.

    “Travelin’ Soldier” tells the story of a shy man going off to Vietnam who meets a woman not long before he leaves. He asks her if he can write to her, and he does. At the end, the woman is at a football game when they make an announcement about soldiers who had died and, well, give it a listen if you have not heard the song. Below is a 2005 version by Natalie Maines, backed up by the songwriter Bruce Robison and his wife Kelly Willis.

    We wish everyone everywhere a safe Memorial Day weekend.

    Photo by Chimesfreedom. Leave your two cents in the comments.

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